Abstract
In the context of an aging population, older adults increasingly face the challenge of managing multiple chronic conditions simultaneously. This study utilized analytical methods such as propensity score matching (PSM) and multivariate logistic regression, to explore the relationship between physical activity and the number of chronic diseases as well as the risk of developing co-morbidities among middle-aged and elderly Chinese individuals using data from the 2020 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey. The PSM results showed that physical activity decreased the number of chronic diseases in middle-aged and elderly people by 0.050 (p<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression results the odds ratio (OR) for the risk of multimorbidity in the moderate and high intensity physical activity groups compared to the group with inadequate physical activity were 0.845 (95% CI 0.729-0.980) and 0.847 (95% CI 0.727-0.988), which means that moderate-intensity physical activity is more effective in preventing the risk of multimorbidity. As a result, it is advised that middle-aged and older adults actively engage in physical activities to reduce the number of chronic diseases. Moreover, moderate physical activity intensity should be targeted to lower the risk of multimorbidity.